This invention relates to a boar cart for use in transporting a boar adjacent to a series of pens containing sows during insemination of the sows.
In high intensity rearing of pigs, sows after farrowing are moved to an area where they are maintained in separate pens awaiting insemination at the suitable time of estrous. The sows are maintained in separate pens in rows on one or both sides of dividing alleyways so that the farm hand can move along the row of sows both at the front and rear to access the sows for insemination and for various other purposes.
The alleyways between the rows can range in width from 18 inches up to 36 inches in most cases and in some cases the alleyways are wider still. The alleyways are defined between rows of pens and of course at the end of the rows the alley turns through a right angle so that passage can be obtained along one end of the rows and then back between the next set of rows where another right angle turn is required.
It is well known in artificial insemination that it is desirable to bring a boar to the sows both for the purposes of stimulating the sows by close physical contact with the boar and for determining whether a particular sow is in estrous. The presence of the boar is known to improve the effectiveness of the artificial insemination both by allowing the farm hand to more accurately determine the presence of estrous and in addition to place the sow in a more accepting condition for the insemination.
Conventionally a boar is led along the front of the stalls so as to physically contact or approach each sow in turn while the farm hand takes the necessary actions for carrying out insemination of those sows found to be in estrous. This requires the manual handling of a very large powerful animal by one or more additional farm hands.
Attention has therefore been given to design a device which allows the boar to be moved or transported along the alleyway in front of the row of sows in their pens while the farm hand carries out the necessary actions for insemination. It is clearly desirable if such a device is remotely controllable so that the farm hand at the rear of the animal can operate the device to move the boar to the required position adjacent the sow involved.
It is one object of the present invention to provide an improved boar cart which allows improved control over the movement of the cart.
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a boar cart for carrying a boar through alleyways of a sow insemination area for interaction with the sows during insemination comprising:
a cage assembly for containing the boar including a cage floor on which the boar stands, two cage sides each on a respective side of a longitudinal center line of the cage assembly for confining the boar so that the boar is maintained extending longitudinally of the cage assembly, a cage front and a cage rear for confining the boar against forward and rearward movement;
the cage assembly having at least one door allowing entry and exit of the boar from the cage assembly;
the cage assembly being mounted on ground wheels for movement generally longitudinally along an alleyway carrying the boar within the cage assembly;
the cage assembly having a front portion for receiving the front feet and forward portion of the boar and a rear portion for receiving the rear feet and rearward portion of the boar;
the front portion being connected to the rear portion for pivotal movement about a vertical pivot axis to allow the cage assembly to navigate around a corner from one alleyway to another.
Preferably the pivotal movement is provided by a pivot coupling defining a vertical pivot axis arranged substantially at the center line such that the cage assembly can articulate to the left and to the right for navigating left and right corners in the alleyways while the boar is retained in the cage assembly.
Preferably the cage assembly includes a roof member parallel to the floor arranged at a top of the side walls and wherein the pivot coupling includes a first bearing member at the floor and a second bearing member at the roof member.
Preferably the side walls interconnect the roof member and the floor.
Preferably the side walls of the front portion are separate from the side walls of the rear portion such that the side walls have a change in spacing therebetween so that they move closer on one side and further apart on the other side as the portions articulate.
Preferably there are provided flexible confining members between the side walls to accommodate said change in spacing.
Preferably the side walls are defined by a plurality of vertical bars allowing access to the boar.
Preferably there is provided a second pivotal coupling thus allowing articulation about two parallel axes on the center line.
Preferably the pivot coupling includes a lock for locking the portions in an aligned position.
Preferably the rear portion includes at least one drive wheel for driving the cage assembly along the alleyways and the front portion includes at least one steerable wheel for guiding the cage assembly along the alleyways.
According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a boar cart for carrying a boar through alleyways of a sow insemination area for interaction with the sows during insemination comprising:
a cage assembly for containing the boar including a cage floor on which the boar stands, two cage sides each on a respective side of a longitudinal center line of the cage assembly for confining the boar so that the boar is maintained extending longitudinally of the cage assembly, a cage front and a cage rear for confining the boar against forward and rearward movement;
the cage assembly having at least one door allowing entry and exit of the boar from the cage assembly;
the cage assembly being mounted on ground wheels for movement generally longitudinally along an alleyway carrying the boar within the cage assembly;
the cage assembly having a front portion for receiving the front feet and forward portion of the boar and a rear portion for receiving the rear feet and rearward portion of the boar;
the front portion and the rear portion being connected together for pivotal articulated movement about a pivot coupling such that the cage assembly can articulate for navigating corners in the alleyways while the boar is retained in the cage assembly;
at least one of the cage front and the cage rear being bowed outwardly such that a height thereof adjacent the boar projects outwardly relative to the cage floor to thus reduce the length of the floor relative to the total length of the cage assembly to assist in navigating corners.
Preferably the cage front and cage rear are both bowed.
Preferably the gate is arranged at one of the front and rear.
Preferably the front and rear are formed from bars only
According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a boar cart for carrying a boar along an alleyway of a sow insemination area for interaction with sows on at least one of two sides of the alleyway during insemination comprising:
a cage assembly for containing the boar including a cage floor on which the boar stands, two cage sides each on a respective side of a longitudinal center line of the cage assembly for confining the boar so that the boar is maintained extending longitudinally of the cage assembly, a cage front and a cage rear for confining the boar against forward and rearward movement;
the cage assembly having at least one door allowing entry and exit of the boar from the cage assembly;
the cage assembly being mounted on ground wheels for movement generally longitudinally along an alleyway carrying the boar within the cage assembly;
the cage assembly including a guide arrangement arranged to cooperate with at least one member in the alleyway for guiding the cage assembly along a selected one of the sides of the alleyway and spaced from the other of the sides, the guide assembly being arranged to allow selection of said one side.
Preferably the ground wheels are arranged and adjustable to tend to direct the cage assembly toward a selected one of the sides of the alleyway and away from the other of the sides and wherein there is provided a guide assembly for guiding the cage assembly in movement along said selected one of the sides.
Preferably the ground wheels include at least one rear drive wheel connected to a motor for supporting the cage assembly and for driving the cage assembly along the alleyway and at least one front steering wheel for supporting the cage assembly and for guiding the cage assembly along the alleyway; said at least one front wheel being adjustable and lockable in a predetermined direction to tend to direct the cage assembly in movement toward a selected one of the sides of the alleyway; and the cage assembly having side guide members for contacting a guide element at the selected side of the alleyway such that the cage assembly is directed toward and runs along the guide element at the selected side.
Preferably there are two drive wheels.
Preferably there are two front wheels wherein the wheels are arranged such that, when directed to one side, one wheel is locked and one wheel casters.
Preferably both wheels are selectably lockable and both are free to caster when unlocked.
Preferably the guide members comprise rollers.